Wardrobe Redesign

Months ago, I ran across a beautiful old wardrobe that had been handed down to someone who apparently didn’t appreciate what they had. It was relegated to a corner of a garage and because of this, the front doors and bottom frame sustained some pretty extensive damage. Sad face.

But, that also meant that I picked it up for a song. The interiors are immaculate and the back and top are in really great shape too. But that left open the question of what to do to “fix” the damage. It sat unattended for some time while I finished other projects and even when I went back to work (funny how a full time job with a lengthy commute can eat into my spare time), I tried to re-sell it to someone else who might want to take it on as a restoration project. No luck.

But this might work out to my advantage. Now on evenings and weekends I am going to set to bringing my own special touch to this piece. I searched high and low for walnut veneer, without much luck, as I didn’t have to want to travel too far or pay too much. So, again it sat in my garage, although in much better surroundings.

And I have stumbled onto the design I want to take it. And there is a nice little tutorial on how to approach it. If you’re interested in how to do it, just visit the website.

I am going to rebuild the base with the help of my son and then I am going to strip the veneer off the doors and sand it down to a nice solid finish. Then it is going to get painted in a beautiful high gloss black and then the doors are going to get a colorful abstract painting in bold beautiful colors. The interiors are simply going to get a cleaning and a sealer to protect the still beautiful finish.

So, here is the before:

And I will provide updates as I progress. There is no hurry to getting this project done and I want to take my time with it. In the meantime, I am also working on the other American Girl dollhouse project. This one will be sold when done, and I expect it to command a pretty penny. And it will be a fun project as I work on it.

Here is the work so far:

Basically it is a big box. :-) It measures 48″ wide by 48″ high and is 24″ deep and the shelf rests at 24″ and is built out of beautiful cabinet grade plywood (I’m thinking hardwood floors throughout). Yes, this is the beginnings of the most amazing dollhouse for 18″ sized dolls, ie. American Girl dolls. Although there are a wide variety of popular dolls that size, including Our Generation, Madame Alexander, Favorite Friends and so many more, that would feel just as home in this doll house. Intentions include a base which should be a small lawn and an attic. The kitchen will be to-die-for… boasting turquoise appliances and a plethora of cabinets and I am hoping for an adjoining dining room. It is also to have a bathroom (you should see the toilet!) and a bedroom. I have so much collected already, I am excited to see this come together.

Thanks for dropping by and taking a peek. And apologies for being so absent lately. Come back soon!

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About MacCupcake

Obviously, a big Mac fan (my first Mac was the first Mac) and mother to the most awesome teenager in the world. A techno-junkie and self-proclaimed geek... I love anything and everything relating to computers.